Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Michiana Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Niles, Michigan 49120
Sunday, November 12, 1995 15:32 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM BUFFALO, NEW YORK, TO SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AND SPENT 20 MINUTES GROUND RUNNING TIME WAITING FOR AN IFR CLEARANCE. DURING THE FLIGHT THE LEFT FUEL TANK GAUGE WAS ERRATIC, SO THE PILOT IGNORED IT. THE IN-FLIGHT TIME WAS 4 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES BEFORE A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT STATED THE FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 8.5 TO 8.9 GPH. AT 8.5 GPH, THE FUEL BURNED DURING THE 4 HOUR AND 25 MINUTE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN 37.5 GALLONS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 2 GALLONS USED FOR THE 20 MINUTE GROUND TIME, FOR A TOTAL OF 39.5 GALLONS USED. AT 8.9 GPH, THE TOTAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 41.3 GALLONS. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK SHOWS THE USABLE FUEL OF 40 GALLONS, WITH 3 GALLONS UNUSABLE. THE POSTCRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED 1-1/2 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK; NO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and operating with a known malfunctioning fuel gauge.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/12/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1532 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NILES |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49120 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MICHIANA REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SBN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 30 |
| Airport Elevation | 799 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1539 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SBN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 799 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1422 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1581 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 12 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1757 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N738LM |
| NTSB Number | CHI96LA030 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17270062 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 3 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 5052 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UW FLYING CLUB, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 45134 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MADISON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53744 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BUF |
| Departure City | BUFFALO |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1115 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SBN |
| Destination City | SOUTH BEND |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9R |
| Runway Length | 7099 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |